The Afterlife
by Bloody Dreams
Summary: All of the nobodies are dead, and Roxas has merged with Sora once again. But is it really the end for them ? AkuRoku. Other pairings mentionned.


_Okay. Here it is, my first English fan fiction ever. ( I'm french by the way ) So this is propably going to be full of mistakes and things that doesn't make sense. Feel free to tell me so I can improve. _

_Also, it was supposed to be a one-shot. But as it was getting longer and longer, and I couldn't think of a way to tie up the two parts, so I decided to split it in two. ( it is also for my own safety as a friend of mine will have my head if I don't post a new story anytime soon )_

_It's about what happened to ou favourites Nobodies after Kingdom Hearts II ( well mostly about Roxas and Axel, but you will see the others' names too... Once or twice )_

_So obviously it's an Axel/Roxas romance, with lot and lot of angst/drama ( but with those two, it's hard for me to do anything else )_

_Enjoy ( or not )_

_Note : I know the title is lame but I couldn't think of anything better._

* * *

**The Afterlife**

Black. Everywhere. Not a single patch of colour. No light. Nothing. Just plain darkness all around him. He was floating, lost in the nothingness. He was completely numb. So numb in fact that he couldn't even felt his fingers. There was no air entering his nose when he took a breath. He didn't even had to. It was just him, him and his loneliness. Not that it was anything new but usually he was able to hear Sora's thought and see through his eyes. But there was nothing here. There were no sounds of happy laughs, no blue sky, no sea. It was frightening. He was so used to witness Sora's life, even if it didn't want to, that being suddenly thrown into nothingness made him feel more lonely than usual. There was nothing here to distract him from his thoughts and inevitably, he began to thing of HIM. More precisely of the last time he saw him alive, in this damn pathway/portal thing. "_This fucking damn place where he fucking died, this fucking idiot_" The redhead would never know how much he made him cry, how devastated he was after hearing his last words. He had wanted to scream, to beat some sense into his thick red head but Sora's mind wouldn't let him take over, apart from a single tear who escaped him. He would never be able to say goodbye. He would never tell him how much he loved him. And now he didn't even have Sora's life to distract him form this hurtful reality. He was nothing but sadness, pain and grief. What a pity for someone who was supposed to lack feelings.

* * *

Roxas didn't know for how long he had been there. It could have been a few hours as well as a few years for all he knew. He didn't sleep, he didn't eat, he didn't drink. For some unknown reasons he had no need for that. He was just here. By now he had gotten used to loneliness and the once excruciating pain in his chest ( where his heart should be if he had one ) had lowered to a dull ache whenever memories of his former life entered his mind. The darkness didn't seem so threatening anymore. Actually it was kind of welcoming. It had a homey feeling with the way it wrapped around him and hugged him like a blanket. It was soothing, in a way. It just lacked a bit of warmth. It was as cold as he felt.

But that day ( well he didn't really know but let's pretend ) something seemed to be off. Roxas had the feeling that something was going to happen. He had the very distinct impression that the darkness were a bit less thick. He even thought at one point that saw the outline of his hands. But that also could be him going mad. So he waited. He waited for something to happen, eyes wide ( even if he couldn't see ), standing straight ( even if there was no ground to support his foot ). He waited for what felt like ages but nothing happened. So he gave a mournful sigh, relaxed his tensed body and closed his tiredly.

At first it was like usual. More blackness and nothing else. But after a few moments of disappointment, Roxas felt a very faint breeze caress his cheeks. It was so faint he thought he had imagined it. But then there was another, more pronounced, and another one. Next thing he knew the void under his feet turned into solid, albeit a little shifty, ground. And at last there was the smell. A smell strong enough to have his nose scrunched by very prolonged uselessness. A smell so familiar it was as if it had always been there. The sea. He could even hear the waves softly crashing down somewhere ahead of him. Afraid that by some miracle he had managed to fall asleep and that it was just a very nice dream, Roxas slowly opened his eyes. He was painfully blinded by the vivid sunlight. It was the first time he saw it in a very long while. He was so delighted that he could have cried, but he wasn't one to break down for such a thing. That's why, when his eyes got used to the light, he took in the breathtaking sight that sprawled before him with much serenity.

The sky was a bright blue, without a single cloud. The sea was calm, a darker shade of blue. The small waves were gently rolling until they came to die on the shore. The golden sand was slightly shining due to the sun's strong brightness. It looked really hot. On the other hand the sea seemed to be quite cool, very appealing, so Roxas took off his shoes, his socks and stepped forward. The sand was indeed very hot, and it burned his skin, making him wince, but he went on. As he made contact with the water, he let a tiny whimper of contentment escape his mouth. It was heaven ! Minus the angels. This thought made him realised that even if he was in a much more attractive setting than before, he was still completely alone. Furthermore he didn't have the slightest clue about where he was. All he knew was that he seemed to on a kind of tropical country or island, that the weather was lovely, though a bit too hot, and that it looked a lot like Sora's home.

As the realisation hit him, he heard a faint sound of shifting sand behind him, and then someone spoke to him.

-Hey you over there ! What're you doing here ?

Roxas froze. That was voice he hadn't heard for a long while. Well, as long as his little stay in nothingness had been. He slowly turned around and fixed his gaze onto eyes that were as blue as his own. Eyes that quickly widened with surprise.

-Oh my... Roxas ! The brunette squeaked, throwing himself at the blonde.

-Hey Sora, it's been a while, he gently told him with a soft smile, reciprocating the hug.

Sora squeezed him to death for about two or three minutes before letting him go, a huge grin spread on his boyish face. He was hopping, giggling like an excited child.

-_Yep ! That's the same good old Sora_, the former Nobody thought fondly.

-It's been soooooo long ! Where were you ? I couldn't feel your presence anymore ! I was sooooooo lonely !

-Oh please ! I was merely a little voice in the back of your mind that you never listened to anyway.

-But still, It's been such a long time since I last heard you.

Roxas' smile fell at that.

-How long ?

Sora's grin faltered and he fidgeted. Obviously he was hesitating. But the pleading look on Roxas' face had him trapped, so he told him.

-It's been a year Roxas.

-A year... Sure didn't feel like it. Did I miss something important ?

At this, Sora suddenly seemed to beam with happiness. Roxas barely had the time to take his shoes before his Other grabbed his hand and began to run towards the forest the blonde hadn't noticed was there until now. He tripped when the sand became solid ground and tricky tree roots.

-H... Hey ! Wait ! Sora ! Where the hell are you taking me ?

The excited brunette didn't even stop to answer him.

-It's a surprise !

And he kept pulling him along the giant trees of the exotic forest. It was surely magnificent but Roxas hadn't the occasion to look around because if he did, he would certainly be hit by a low branch or trip on something, he had enough trouble to see in the dark as it was. The lack of sun and the deafening silence added to his confusion a feeling of oppression and he couldn't wait to go back to the sun. This place reminded him to much of the time he spent alone, in the nothingness.

He was about to complain to Sora that his feet were hurting ( one couldn't run so much on a forest ground without getting shards in one's feet after all ) when his counterpart abruptly stop. Surprised, Roxas couldn't stop himself in time and slammed into Sora, sending both of them tumbling to the floor.

-Why did you stop so suddenly ? And why did you drag me in the middle of the forest in the first place ? Are you mad ? Or high ? Roxas grumbled, pushing himself up with his free hand.

He took advantage of their stopped track to put his socks and shoes back on, while Sora started explaining his behaviour.

-Well, actually mister I'm-All-Grumpy, we are almost out, not in the middle. The reason I brought you here is behind those tree. And be glad I was here otherwise you would have been lost forever. You can thank me later.

Roxas gave him a doubtful look before getting back up on his feet.

-So, he asked, what is so special about this place ?

-Oh ! It's not the place that's important, it's just a beach after all. No what made it special is the people who are here.

Again, Sora earned himself a wary glance by Roxas.

-If it's some kind of friendly get-together, I must warn you that I'm not particularly fond of yours. Specially that Riku-guy. I haven't quite forgiven him for erasing my memory and putting me in a fake town. And I don't think he's gotten over the fact that I kicked his ass the first time we met, so he mustn't be really fond of me either.

-Yeah ! I know. But don't worry, he's at school at the moment, as well as Kairi and the other, said the brunette soothingly, he didn't want the blonde to freak out on him after all.

-And you aren't because ? Roxas asked in a distinctive reprimanding tone.

-Err... you don't want to know. Anyway we're not here to chat about me not attending school.

We're here because you have to meet the people on the shore. Or should I say meet again ? He explained, a devilish grin on his face.

-What ? Sora you aren't making any sense.

The brunette sighed and decided to push him forward the end of the tree line.

-Don't talk, just move. Come on, come on ! The Keyblade Master happily sang.

Mere seconds later, the former Nobody was, once again, blinded by the bright light of the sun blazing above.

-_Isn't there any cloud in this island_ ? He asked himself

When his eyes became used to the light again, he took a look around him, slightly curious to see what, or in that case who, Sora was so worked up about. When he saw them, his mouth fell and hang open.

They were all here. Every single one of them. They were scattered along the beach, clad in bathing suits, playing, tanning, or simply napping, overall enjoying themselves. He had seen some of them fade away, with his own ( almost ) fucking two eyes and still, they were all here, living, breathing, all flesh and blood. They were supposed to be dead for God's sake. Well, as dead as Nobodies can be. But a dead Demyx wouldn't be sprawled over a towel, his face buried in the bare midriff of a supposedly dead Zexion, who wouldn't be reading in a sitting position, back against a blue ice box. Dead people like Luxord, Marluxia and Larxene wouldn't play volley-ball with a girl like Namine, who by the way was supposed to be stuck in her Other's body. Dead people like Xigbar, Xaldin and Lexaeus wouldn't be racing against each other in the sea. A dead, evil man like Xenmas wouldn't be sunbathing, with a dead Saix curled up like a cat against his side. And a dead Vexen wouldn't be sulking on his own, bundled up under the parasol.

The blonde boy kept gaping, completely speechless.

-So, what do you think of my surprise ? Inquired the brunette.

-That's... But... How...

-Dunno, but fact is that they are here now. At first we were a bit wary of them but since they weren't causing a mess, we let them be.

Roxas wasn't listening. There was a loud thumping noise coming from his chest. It sounded like a heartbeat. The noise kept getting louder and quicker as his eyes were searching for the familiar mop of spiky red hair that he had missed so much. And suddenly, for an agonisingly long and slow second, the loud noise stopped altogether and a sharp throb exploded in his chest, though it wasn't unpleasant.

There he was. The cause of all his nervousness, the source of all his _feelings_ ( bad or good ) was just here, in front of him sprayed nonchalantly on a deckchair. Like all the other, he was dressed in a simple bathing suit, which consisted of a very fitting pair of swimming trunks, leaving very little to the imagination. The entire expanse of his well-built torso and arms, as well as his strong legs were exposed to drool at. The sight of his almost-nude friend made his heart, his _heart_ for Christ's sake, beat faster. Roxas couldn't prevent his eyes from roaming over the delicious body displayed before him. He was completely hypnotised.

And it was at this precise moment, when he was completely distracted ( and what a distraction ) that something heavy assaulted him, while emitting a very loud shriek that might have been his name, but he wouldn't swore on it.

His butt hit the ground quite harshly, and his head would have done the same if he hadn't had the presence of mind to catch himself on his hand.

-Roxas ! Finally you're here ! Squeaked a voice he recognized as Demyx's ( Obviously, only him could have such a reaction ) I'm sooo happy !!!!!

Well, if his earlier deafening scream hadn't already caught everyone's attention, now it would have been near impossible to not notice the happily babbling teenager. Demyx just didn't know how to keep quiet sometimes. Needless to say, Roxas' arrival was quick to attract all the focus upon him. Zexion was the first to come, if only to put his boyfriend ( unless Roxas was seriously mistaken ) back on his feet, thus allowing Roxas to stand up.

There was a fleeting moment of awkwardness, during which Roxas tried to look at anywhere but the former organisation member's face. Even Demyx seemed a bit put off by the tension hanging in the air. To Roxas' surprise, it was Zexion who broke the silence.

-Well, it's nice to see you again, Roxas.

-Y... Yeah ! The feeling's mutual, softly said Roxas, an uneasy smile on his lips.

It seemed to be enough to break the ice because suddenly, Roxas was once again pulled into a tight embrace by Demyx. One by one, the former Nobody came to him, offering him greeting. None was as heartfelt and welcoming as Demyx's seeing that he didn't know them all very well. Some of them had been sent to castle Oblivion very shortly after he joined the Order after all, so he didn't really got to know them personally. And some other he wasn't particularly fond of, mainly Xigbar whose favourite hobby was teasing him. On the contrary, when Namine came to him he send her a toothy grin ( an habit taken from Sora ) The last one to come was Xemnas, and Roxas couldn't help the sudden tension in his body as he faced his former boss, though his outfit kind of destroyed his merciless image.

-Superior, greeted Roxas.

-There's no need for you to call me like this, Roxas, answered the silver-haired man. Xemnas will do just fine, he said with a soft, almost gentle smile.

-Yes Sup... Xemnas, Sir.

It was so weird to see this formerly heartless and cruel man be so relaxed and... Normal. He was even holding Saix's hand for heaven's sake.

In order to ignore this disturbing feeling, the blond tried to find the face of the person he wanted to see the most. The only one he had wanted to see again, in fact. But he soon realized that his fire-user friend wasn't among the more or less happy face surrounding him.

He stole a glance toward the spot were he saw him lounging. He hadn't moved at all. Surely he couldn't have missed all the commotion ? And if he hadn't, then why was he still in is chair ? Why didn't he come to greet him like all the others ? Was he deliberately doing this ?

Slightly hurt by his best friend's behaviour he quickly separated from the others and made a straight line toward the red-head.

He didn't really know what to expect ( they DID hurt each other pretty badly after all ) but nothing could have prepared him to Axel's words of welcome, if you could call it that.

-Sure took you long enough, number XIII.

It wasn't the icy tone of his voice that hurt Roxas the most, even the fact that Axel hadn't had the decency to turn around and talk to him face to face didn't registered in the blond's mind.

No what was really painful, what stabbed him straight in his heart, was the use of his rank number. The red-head had never called him like this the whole time they had been in the organisation. Axel had said it was disrespectful and a denial of identity that they certainly didn't need. To call him like that was certainly the most insulting and painful thing he could have done.

So Roxas did the only thing he could thing of.

He ran away.

* * *

But he didn't get very far. Just enough so that the other didn't see him tumble down to his knees and start crying every tears his body could contain. He hadn't thought this would happen like that. He hadn't expected warm embraces and heart-felt declarations of love either, but he certainly wasn't prepared for a flat out rejection. His heart, his fragile new heart, was hurting. Very bad.

He had just experimented his first heartbreak.

* * *

_I don't know when the other part will be up. It depends on my muse ( which seem to have left me, bitch that she is )_

_Once again, you are encouraged to point errors out._


End file.
